Quality, Affordable, Accessible:
Workshops for Writers of All Genres
All workshops are through Yahoogroups and lessons are sent to you through email.
2009 One-Step Sign Up: Pay and register all at once! Just click the "Buy Now" button below your chose course to pay by Paypal Or click here to pay by check. |
May
4 Weeks
5/4 - 5/29
$20/$25
Mind Your P's and Q's: The Secret to Writing Pitches and Query Letters
Instructor: Robin Matheson
Registration Deadline: 5/3/09
Build pitches and query letters from the ground up! Discover the four components that keep you focused on the big picture and save you time when it comes to writing a pitch or a query letter.
Learn: Four pre-writing exercises to presenting characters; three pre-writing exercises to synthesizing your plot; and three key issues that will help you identify the unique features of your story.
Finally, master the "ABC Formula" that allows you to compose any business letter in three easy steps. Honest!
This is an intense workshop composed of a series of lectures and hands on exercises. "In class" critiques of the exercises will be made available by the instructor. In addition to the course material, students will also have an opportunity to receive a critique of a query letter.
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May
4 Weeks
5/4 - 5/29
$20/$25
Aim High, Shoot Straight: Setting and Reaching Your Writing Goals
Instructor: Kara Lennox
Registration Deadline: 5/5/09
If you want to write but you can't seem to get motivated or find the time, or if you're writing but not getting where you want to be in your career, if you're jumping from project to project without a clear focus, this workshop is for you. Veteran author Kara Lennox will present her plan for focusing in on what you really want from your writing career, then show you how to formulate concrete, achievable goals and develop a step-by-step plan for achieving them. She'll also show you how to form your own "dream team" and manage your time and your fears. Learn proven problem-solving techniques and tips for staying motivated. This is a workshop for serious writers who are committed to success, however you define success.
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May
4 Weeks
5/4 - 5/29
$20/$25
Schmoozing 101
Instructor: Jacqui Jacoby
Registration Deadline: 5/5/09
Some people call it networking. Some people, however, think that's far too sterile a name for something that can be so fun in a business which is so creative.Schmoozing. That's what we do. And we do it sincerely. When we mosey up to the book editor to introduce ourselves, we aren't there because this is just another person in the industry. We’re there because we know that this is a person with something interesting to say. Agents, editors, authors: they all have something to offer. Their experiences, their insight. All we have to do is listen and learn.Schmoozing 101 will help teach the participants how to make the unapproachable, approachable. We will learn how to make sure the people we talk to will know our names and remember our faces. Whether it’s an in-person meeting, an e-mail that has to be sent, or a phone call that must be made, this class will help writers know what to say, when to say it and how to say it. The next time you run into that famous face, they will smile and ask how you are doing. This workshop would cover topics such as to conduct an interview, both in person, by phone and by e-mail. It will discuss not only should we attend a conference, but what we should do once we get there, what should we say and how we should act. According to The Esquire Group, networking allows you to be in a position to win and be in with the decision makers who are making things happen ... “Writers, who by the very nature of their work are alone most of the time, will want to take Schmoozing 101 to learn what to do and what to say to those real live people in our business that we eventually have to face.Schmoozing 101 can be taught as an online class or a one-hour workshop.
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June
4 Weeks
6/1 - 6/26
$20/$25
Can This Manuscript Be Saved?
Instructor: Susan Meier
Registration Deadline: 5/31/09
Can This Manuscript Be Saved? ... Rejected? Can’t get an agent? Can’t sell, even though your critique partners LOVE your work? Susan Meier reviews the seven most common rejection catch phrases and explains how determining whether your problem is a story, scene or word problem is the first step on the road to recovery, and shares tricks-of-the-trade to finding and fixing your errors before you submit!
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June
4 Weeks
6/1 - 6/26
$20/$25
Understanding Men
Instructor: Dr. Debra Holland
Registration Deadline: 5/31/09
Do you wish you had a better understanding of men? Now is yourchance to improve your real-life relationships with men and enhanceyour male characters all through taking the same course. In the month-long online class, you will learn how the male brain andhormones makes a man think, feel, and behave, especially inrelationships. We will also discuss how men are portrayed in romancenovels versus how men are in real life.
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June
4 Weeks
6/1 - 6/26
$20/$25
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June
4 Weeks
6/1 - 6/26
$20/$25
"What's Up?" she queried. Dialogue, Tags, Beats and Internal Dialogue.
Instructor: Anne Schroeder
Registration Deadline: 5/31/09
If writing is dancing, then dialogue is the waltz. Learn to create smooth dialogue using all the tricks editors look for. We'll use your writing to create dynamite dialogue.
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July
4 Weeks
7/6 - 7/31
$20 - $25
Following the Thread: Writing Linked Trilogies
Registration Deadline: 7/5/09
Harlequin editors have figured out a way to exploit the character connection by developing continuities, multi-book series in which they provide the stories and a selection of writers write the individual books.
Learn the ins and outs of writing trilogies and get your continuity questions answered in this workshop.
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July
4 Weeks
7/6 - 7/31
$20/$25
Developing Plot and Tension in the Novel
Instructor: Jessica Barksdale Inclan
Registration Deadline: 7/5/09
You may have wonderful ideas for your novel, fascinating characters, and beautiful writing, but those attributes alone won't tie a novel together. Plot and the ensuing tension that a carefully constructed story engenders are what keeps your readers tied to your words. In this workshop, we take your material and create a storyline, working on creating successful beginnings, middles, and ends. We also see how your characters and your writing style work in conjunction with your plot. Working from a complete draft of a novel, a partial draft, or an outline of an idea, we explore your stories. Through lecture, discussion, in-class writing, and workshopping, we follow the arc of your story, discussing how all the components work together. Among the topics considered are structuring an effective "hook," watching for the middle "sag," and tying up loose plot ends. We also work on creating effective, round characters and focus on the theme of your work.
July
4 Weeks
7/6 - 7/31
$20/$25
Past Life Regression for the Writer’s Soul: A New Approach to Character Creation
Instructor: Dawna Richard
Registration Deadline: 7/5/09
Have you ever had the feeling that you have been to a certain place or time or experienced reoccurring dreams? Have you had a lifelong phobia that you have no explanation for? This could be an indication that you have lived before. Whether you are interested in exploring the possibility of a past life or you are just looking for that next story idea, this class is for you. Learn a little about yourself and unleash a plethora of new ideas along the way. Through past life regression/self meditation techniques, you will have the chance to explore the workings of your mind and gain the tools to uncover a story and characters waiting to be written.
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August
8/10 - 9/4
$20/$25
Plot Doctor: Fixing Your Story Problems
Deadline Registration: 8/2/09
Do you create wonderful, three-dimensional characters who then stumble around blindly in your book, trying to find a story? Are you a "pantser" who writes yourself into a corner? As a frequent critiquer, contest judge, nd the recipient of many, many rejection and revision letters over the years, Kara Lennox has witnessed and personally experienced just about every way your plot can veer into a ditch.
In this workshop she'll cover the fifteen most common problems, how to spot them and how to fix them them. Some common problems covered include: A premise that isn't compelling, starting in the wrong place, weak conflict, the dreaded saggy middle, episodic plots, loss of focus, weak black moment and unsatisfying ending. The workshop includes illustrative examples from well-known movies, books, the author's own supply of failed plots, and samples made up just for this workshop. Come prepared with your own story problems and, as a group, we'll brainstorm possible ways to fix them.
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August
4 Weeks
8/3 - 8/28
$20/$25
Registration Deadline: 8/2/09
Gone are the days when a good book was all an author needed to build her career. Today, authors need to master the art of self-promotion to build the buzz that leads to higher sales, new readers and a loyal audience. Not sure how to do that? Do you consider yourself a promotional weakling? Then boot camp is for you! In this four-week online class, PR Drill Sgt. Louise Knott Ahern will whip you into the best PR shape you’ve ever been in.
Louise will teach you to approach book promotion in a new way. You’ll lear9n to stop reinventing the PR wheel with each new book, and instead envision and develop long-term PR goals and high concept plans that sell YOU as much as your novels. Topics include goal-setting, your author brand, your “PR personality” and how to take advantage of the web. Be prepared to work! Class participants will be asked to write(or rewrite)their biographies, complete a PR planning guide, craft sample press releases, identify an “expertise” and brainstorm ideas for freelance articles. By the end of the class, you’ll be armed with tools you can use immediately to launch your own PR blitz.
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August
4 Weeks
8/3 - 8/28
$20/$25
Austin to Aliens: How to Create Classic Tough Heroines
Instructor: Jacqui Jacoby
Registration Deadline: 8/2/09
As martial artist, Jacqui Jacoby is interested in self-defense and how women are portrayed in the media. At first, it seemed as if it was only Hollywood showing women in a tough light. With heroines such as Sarah Conner of the Terminator movies, and Ellen Ripely in the Alien films, women were the ones saving the day when men were being blown up or eaten.
This workshop will teach writers how to portray tough chick heroines. It will discuss how to build a tough chick heroine from the inside out, how there is more mental to the physical and how we can make these heroines jump off the page. What kind of women make up the tough chicks and what are they like in their everyday lives? What drives them to become tough? What kind of hero must stand beside her and who are the villains will she face?
All of these topics, plus more, will be covered.
With Jacqui’s experience in martial arts, her background in
self-defense and the time she has spent in front of live, as well as those online, workshops, Jacqui Jacoby is the person to teach writers how to create these fast paced heroines in their compelling stories.
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September
4 Weeks
9/7 - 10/2
$20/$25
Storyboarding
Instructor: Shelley Bradley
Registration Deadline: 9/6/09
Hate blinking cursors or rewriting? Have a very time-pressed schedule? To avoid all of those and maintain sanity in the middle of deadlines and challenging books requires a little more pre-plotting than Ready with some characters, Set with an opening scene, Go!
Storyboarding for the Story Challenged uses different formats (and thus, different parts of your brain) to help you construct your plot. Part visual, part analytical, this method of storyboarding allows you to plot the skeleton of a story or put all the story flesh on its bones, right down to the last freckle or drop of sweat.
The storyboarding method also allows you to: a) write a quick, concise sysnopsis that enables you to more accurately state what your book will be about when it’s finished b) find plot holes c) determine if you’ve dropped threads, characters, props or themes d) know your characters, the story and how motivation ties in before you ever start writing e) and lots more!!
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September
4 Weeks
9/7 - 10/2
$20/$25
Wham, Bam, Thank You, Ma'am: Cutting to the Chase and Writing First Chapters That HOOK
Instructor: Sarah Reinke
Registration Deadline: 9/6/09
Did you know that prospective editors and agents sometimes make their decision as to whether or not to contract your work based on the first page of your manuscript? Some decide by the end of the first paragraph, and some even by the first sentence. Your book needs to start with a bang, a sure-fire hook to catch a reader's interest. In this fun-filled, fast-paced workshop, learn the tricks of the trade for writing short-and-sweet, down and dirty first chapters that grab attention and don't let go.
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September
4 Weeks
9/7 - 10/2
$20/$25
Writing Hot, Delicious Love Scenes
Instructor: Nicole North
Registration Deadline: 9/2/09
Do the love scenes or sex scenes in your romance novel lack that magical spark and sizzling heat that makes the reader go WHEW!!? The romance genre has exploded with bonfire-hot romance and erotic romance novels and novellas over the last few years. In this workshop we'll explore the many aspects of fantastic, hot and delicious love scenes, whether you write mildly sensual romance or erotic romance. We'll look at the best ways of writing those all-important love scenes that take your characters to the next level of their relationship.
Topics covered: What is delicious?; your comfort level; leading up to sex; interweaving emotion and sex; differences between romance and erotic romance; choosing your words; sexy dialogue; humor during sex; sexual positions; personalizing your love scenes; sensual settings; seducing the reader; the hero; the heroine; virgins; fantasy; historical vs. contemporary love scenes; determining placement; progression from one love scene to the next; oral sex; avoid sex cliches; sex and conflict; written and multimedia examples; exercises.
Please note: this workshop does not deal with pure erotica or alternative lifestyles. The lessons and examples contain graphic language and frank discussions of sexuality. You must be 18 or over to take this workshop.
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October
4 Weeks
10/5 - 10/30
$20/$25
Moving from Writer to Author
Instructor: Jessica Barksdale Inclan
Registration Deadline: 10/4/09
Do you have a novel that is almost complete or now ready for revision? Have you been wondering what steps you should take to solicit useful feedback before sending your work out to agents and publishers? This course provides concrete strategies to help you move from writer to author. First, we consider what to do with a novel-length manuscript after its completion, including how to approach making major, over-arching revisions (character change, epiphany, plot, and theme); how to edit and line edit; and how to evaluate and select writing and editing resources beyond the classroom environment. Second, we discuss the nuts and bolts of how to find an agent. Using real query letters sent by published writers, we discover what works in a letter and what doesn't. Finally, we explore what happens to your novel after you sign with an agent and when your agent sells it to a publishing house, what can you expect, and what are the specific dynamics of working with an editor.
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October
4 Weeks
10/5 - 10/30
$20/$25
Perfect People Are Boring/Secondary Characters
Instructor: Beth Cornelison
Registration Deadline: 10/4/09
Perfect People Are Boring will look at memorable characters from classic romances and popular movies and show how their flaws set up story conflict and internal conflict. Beth Cornelison will show how the plot points forced the character to make choices and learn from mistakes. She will explain these concepts, showing how to apply these techniques to build stronger plots and memorable characters.
Secondary Characters: The Good, The Bad and The Quirky will cover the definition of a secondary character, the DOs and DON'Ts of secondary characters, the broad classifications/ roles of secondary characters, and how to handle a secondary character who tries to steal a scene or book.
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October
4 Weeks
10/5 - 10/30
$20/$25
Mastering Point of View
Instructor:Diane O'Connell
Registration Deadline: 10/4/09
What’s the secret every successful author knows and most new authors don’t? It’s point of view (POV). In this workshop, Diane will show how truly understanding and mastering point of view can fix an ailing manuscript and turn a decent but lackluster novel into a page-turner. You’ll learn:
• the biggest mistakes authors make with POV — and how to avoid them
• how to use POV to liven up description, dialogue, and action
• the advantages — and drawbacks — of different POV choices
• how to choose your POV characters
• how to use POV to increase suspense and tension
Once you really know how to use this technique, you’ll never write the same way again.
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November
4 Weeks
11/2 - 11/27
$20/$25
Journey Steps
Instructor: Susan Meier
Registration Deadline: 11/1/09
Taking the Train to Somewhere ...Ever wonder what you’re supposed to “put” in between those four or five turning points of your story? Susan Meier’s Journey Steps, Taking the Train to Somewhere provides quick, easy solutions for any author who has ever wondered “now what?” Topics include the “magic formula” for plotting, the list of five, explanation of plot threads versus subplot and tricks for writing an “edge-of-the-seat” read. Beginners, intermediate and experienced authors will benefit from this workshop.
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November
4 Weeks
11/2 - 11/27
$20/$25
Love on Deadline: Tips for Efficient Writing
Instructor: Kristin Hardy
Registration Deadline: 11/1/09
Writing is a rewarding, frustrating, and often stressful business. We come up with wonderful ideas that vault through our imaginations. The challenge is to get those ideas down on paper. How effectively and efficiently we do that is directly related to our success as authors.
Writing my first book required about ten months. Writing my eighth book required about eight weeks, in and among juggling a half time job, business travel, line edits, and galley reviews. Of necessity, I’ve leveraged my background as a long-time magazine editor and an engineer to develop methods to get from ‘The Inspiration’ to ‘The End’ as effectively and efficiently as possible.
In ‘Love on Deadline,’ you’ll learn how to rapidly bring characters alive, how to avoid time-consuming missteps in the plotting process, how to think through the story and break it into manageable subsections, and how to break free from your timeline and writer’s block to write chapters out of order.
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November
4 Weeks
11/2 - 11/27
$20/$25
Crafting the Sensual Novella: How to Steam Up the Pages in 25,000 Words or Less
Instructors: Eliza Knight and Renee Knowles
Registration Deadline: 11/1/09
Have you ever wanted to try your hand at writing a sexy novella? Are you worried you won’t be able to write short? Do love scenes intimidate you? Worry no more! It’s time to learn the craft of novella writing. Creating a sensual short storycan be fun and profitable.
And there has never been a better time to write short. With so many new and established publishers hungry for novellas, the market is wide open—if you know how to catch an editor’s attention.
Sensual novellas are about much more than sex. And the guidelines are different than for a traditional-length novel. This workshop will help you learn how to plot a novella whether you are a heavy outliner or a “pantser.” You’ll see how easy it is to layer emotion into your love scenes and hook the reader from the very first sentence. The class will also instruct you on how to pack more into less words, while still keeping your love story strong and your audience captivated. And we will help you see how to market your story once you’ve sold.
We’ll even include a sensual and sensory word reference list as a bonus!
Are you ready to take readers on a swift, sensual, and emotionally riveting journey?
Note: This workshop includes handouts as well as suggested reading, and will include excerpts from the presenters’ and other authors’ novellas.
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December
NO COURSES -- HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
2010 One-Step Sign Up: Pay and register all at once! |
Should you have any questions concerning any workshops or need any type of assistance, please email us and we will contact you as soon as possible.